Wrench.



PATENTEU MAR. 17, 1903.

M. BARBER.

WRENCH. i APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

. I :E:i. :57:22.25:.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

MELVIN BARBER, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,665, dated March 17, 1903. Application led February 13, 1902. Serial No. 93,911. (No model.)

.To a/ZZ whom, it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, MELVIN BARBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oklahoma city, in the county of Oklahoma and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Wrench, of which the following is a specification.

The presentinvention relates to wrenches and similartools having coacting jaws; and the object, broadly, of the invention is to provide an improved instrument of this character which can be quickly adjusted to the article operated upon and tightly clamped when the desired adjustment has been obtained.

More specifically, one of the aims of the invention is to provide a structure that is composed of a few simple parts which can be readily assembled or taken apart for repair or removal.

Another feature relates to the means for locking the movable jaw in adj usted position, said means being so constructed that it will securely hold the jaw and is not liable to accidental displacement, though it may be readily thrown to inoperative position when so desired to permit the free movement of the jaw.

The preferred form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings applied to a wrench.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of said wrench. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same; and Figs. 3 and 4, transverse sections taken on the line X X of Fig. 2, showing the locking means when in operative and inoperative positions.

Similar numerals ofreference designate corresponding partsin all the figures of the drawings. l

The invention is shown as applied to a nutwrench; but it will be readily apparent that it may be employed in connection with pipewrenches, hose-spanners, and various other` instruments of a like nature. In carrying out the invention a shank lO isv provided, having at one end a jaw II and provided upon intermediate portions of two of its opposite sides with teeth I2, the opposite end of said shank having a contracted screw-threaded portion 13. Upon this shank is slidably mounted the of the stem and sleeve.

movable jaw 14, having a neck or stem l5, that surrounds said shank. Swiveled to this stem is a locking-sleeve 16, that also surrounds the shank, saidswiveled connection being preferably formed of coacting screwthreads 17, located upon the overlapping ends This sleeve is provided on its interior face with a plurality of oppositely-disposed teeth I8, that coact with the teeth l2 of the shank to hold the jaw 14 against movement. The end of the sleeve opposite its swiveled connection projects into a socket l9,that opens toward the stationary j aw ll. This socket is formed by means of a casing 20, secured to the end of the shank 10 by means of a nut 21, threaded upon the terminal spindle,said casing surrounding the shank and spaced from the same. The end of the casing which is nearest the jaws is open, while its opposite end is closed, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. In the socket thus formed is placed a coiled resistance-spring 22, that surrounds the shank and Ybears against the inserted end of the locking-sleeve to move said sleeve, and consequently the sliding jaw, toward the stationary jaw.

One of the important features of the inven` tion is the arrangement of the holding-teeth. It will be observed by reference to Figs. 3 and 4 that the teeth upon the shank are located eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the locking-sleeve, and inlike manner the teeth upon said locking-sleeve are disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation thereof.` This arrangement of these latter teeth is provided for by placing them upon tapering lugs 23, the thicker ends of Which constitute shoulders 24, which are arranged to abut against the shank and limit the rotation of the sleeve. When said sleeve is rotated in the opposite direction, however, the teeth are wedged tightly in between the teeth of the shank, and the rotation of the sleeve is thereby limited in this direction also. As a result the sleeve cannot be given a complete rotation, and while it may be clamped when moved in one direction the teeth cannot come into locking engagement when moved in the other direction. l Y

The operation of the wrench is very"sim IOC ple. When the sleeve is rotated in one direction,the teeth thereof Will disengage the teeth of the shank, and the continuation of this movement Will bring the shoulders 24: of the lugs 23 against the opposite faces of the shank. The sliding jaw can then be moved freely to- Ward or from the stationary jaw, as desired. When the proper adjustment has been obtained, it is only necessary to rotate the sleeve in the opposite direction, Which will bring the teeth of the shank and sleeve into their Wedging engagement, as already described, and because said teeth are inclined slightly there will be a slight upward movement of the movable jaw, which will rmly clamp it upon the article to be operated upon.

The construction as described has the following advantages: In the firstplace, the several parts are extremely simple and the structure can be readily dismembered for the purpose of renewal or repairing any of the parts. Furthermore, it is not necessary to carefully adjust the locking-sleeve in its operative or inoperative position, for the reason that it can only lock when moved in one direction, and when rotated in the opposite direction the teeth cannot be again brought into engagement. The locking action, as above described, Wedges the sleeve and shank tightly together, so that there is very little danger of accidental displacement.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention Will be apparent to those skilled in the art Without further description, and it Will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, What Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a shank havingajaw, said shank also having a socket that opens toward the jaw, of a movable jaw slidably mounted upon the shank, a locking-sleeve surrounding the shank and swiveled upon the movable jaw, said sleeve projecting into the socket and slidable therein, and a resistance-spring located in the socket and bearing against the sleeve to move it and the movable jaw toward the shank-jaw.

2. In a tool of the class described, the combination with ashank having ajaW,said shank also having a socket opening toward the jaw, of a movable jaw having a stem slidably mounted upon the shank, a rotatable lockingsleeve surrounding the shank and screwed upon the stem of the movable jaw, said sleeve projecting into the socket and slidable therein, anda coiled resistance-spring located in the socket and bearing against the sleeve to move it and the movable jaw toward the shank.

3. In a tool of the class described, the cornbination with a shank having a jaw at one end, of a casing open at one end and attached at the other end to the end of the shank oppositie the jaw, thereby forming a socket that is open toward said jaw, of a movable jaw slidably mounted upon the shank, a lockingsleeve surrounding the shank and sWiveled upon the movable jaw, said sleeve projecting into the socket and slidable therein, and a coiled resistance-spring located in the socket and surrounding the shank, said spring bearing against the sleeve to move it and the movable jaw toward the shank-jaw.

4. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a shank having a jaw and spaced sets of teeth arranged on its opposite side faces, the other faces being smooth, of a movable jaw slidably mounted upon the shank, and a holding-sleeve rotatably mounted on the movable jaw and having spaced sets of teeth on its opposing inner faces, each of said sets being disposed in eccentric relation to the axis of the holding-sleeve and having one end arranged nearer said axis than the other end, the teeth of the holding-sleeve coacting with those of the shank when turned in one direction and abutting against the smooth faces of the shank when turned in an opposite direction.

5. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a shank having a jaw at one end and a socket at the other end, of a movable jaw mounted on the shank, a spring located within the socket, and a locking device mounted on and adapted to detachably engage with the shank and connected With the movable jaw, said locking device being acted on by the spring arranged Within the socket to slide the movable jaw along the shank.

6. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a shank having ajaw and teeth, of a movable jaw slidably mounted on the shank, and a holding-sleeve swiveled upon the movable jaw and surrounding the shank, said sleeve having an interior lug, the inner face of which is disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the sleeve, and is provided with teeth that coact With the teeth of the jaw and Wedge between the saine, the end of the lug nearest the axis of rotation of the sleeve being enlarged and constituting a stop that abuts against the shank to limit the rotation of the sleeve.

7. VIn a tool of the class described, the combination with a shank having a jaW and teeth, of a movable jaw slidably mounted upon the shank, and a holding-sleeve swiveled upon the movable jaw and surrounding the same, said sleeve having an interior tapering lug, the inner face of which is disposed eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the sleeve and is provided with teeth that coact with IOO the teeth of the shank, the teeth of said shank In testimony that I claim the foregoing as being also disposed eeeentrieally to the axis my own I have hereto affixed niysignaturein of rotation of the sleeve, the end of the lug the presence of two Witnesses.

nearest the axis of rotation of the sleeve be- MELVIN BARBER.

ing enlarged and constituting a stop that Vitnesses:

abuts against the shank to limit the rotation MARSHALL FULTON,

of the sleeve in one direction. GEO; HESS. 

